On the controversies surrounding Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, it would be most wise to move things rapidly toward decommissioning and safety protocols as this aging dinosaur becomes more susceptible to a serious accident. The machinery is becoming more brittle and weak, further increasing the chance of a serious accident. And let’s not forget the […]
Opinion
Posted inOpinion
Judge Jim
Are unpermitted food vendors actually a problem in Santa Barbara County or has the beef against one stall in Santa Ynez become the loud squeaky Karen that’s garnered all of 3rd District Supervisor Joan Hartmann’s attention? She’s made allegations about human trafficking tied to roadside vendors in the county. She’s made it sound like they’re […]
Posted inOpinion
Lompoc citizens deserve trustworthy leaders
Political history was made during the public comment period at the Lompoc City Council meeting on Dec. 2. It wasn’t the kind of history any city would be proud of. I have been commenting on the political scene in Lompoc for more than three decades in various publications. During this time, there have been numerous […]
Posted inOpinion
Life is serious, but we can solve more problems with humor
We seem to have forgotten something important in our public life. The world is serious, but it is also absurd. We are surrounded by real problems, real responsibilities, and real consequences. Yet somewhere along the way we convinced ourselves that the only respectable way to face them is with a furrowed brow and a lecture. […]
Posted inOpinion
Cultural progress
Guadalupe’s making progress, y’all! It’s one step closer to hosting a local farmers market and to reinvigorating its downtown with the Royal Theater renovation. Wow. It’s like hard work and patience—a lot of patience—pay off! And that patience needs to continue to stretch, because the theater hasn’t quite raised all the money it needs to […]
Posted inOpinion
California’s body politic is missing connective tissue
“Energy policy is not within our purview.” This was the response from the California Coastal Commission when recently presented with information about the critical role that Diablo Canyon Power Plant plays in the state’s clean, baseload energy supply. This statement, while perhaps a narrow interpretation of the Coastal Act, is the perfect encapsulation of a […]
Posted inLetters To The Editor
A proposal for a new political party in America to bring us together
In response to Mr. Donegan’s call for the commencement of divorce proceedings by competing factions of the Democratic Party (“Democratic divorce,” Nov. 27)—enough with divisiveness and drama. Herewith, a proposal for a party to unify us: the Boring Party. Slogan: Moderation, and not too much of thatHeadquarters: Lake Woebegone, Minnesota (honorary); Bland, MissouriMascot: A dripping […]
Posted inOpinion
Bridge to nowhere good
I wonder how former Lompoc City Councilmember Gilda Aiello is taking the news about the guy who took her seat on the dais at the end of 2024. Remember what happened? She decided not to run for reelection due to “a few unfair attacks brought on me by a group of individuals who wanted to […]
Posted inOpinion
Thanksgiving is a time for celebration, not acrimony
Thanksgiving is the time of year when we sit back, smell the turkey, stuff ourselves with too much good food, and then reflect on the good things that have happened to our families in the last year. Sometime during the day’s festivities—amid the turkey feast, football, and basketball games on TV, and visiting with family […]
Posted inOpinion
It’s time for a divorce, Democrats
Let’s face it, it just isn’t working. You Democrats have grown too far apart. It is time for a divorce. After losing the election to political zombie Donald Trump, who arose from the crypt of loss, impeachment, and prosecution, you are looking for a way forward. New leadership is being pushed by your progressives, with […]
Posted inOpinion
The middleman
While warm-blooded American patriots were enjoying their weekends like warm-blooded patriots, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was out doing the work of the people: arresting rapists, pedophiles, and murderers (and I assume, good people, too)—according to a U.S. Department of Homeland Security press release you can find right on its website! Direct-to-the-people news, direct from […]
Posted inOpinion
The U.S. should look to New Zealand for democratic inspiration
On No Kings Day, a chant reverberated throughout America as 7 million protesters marched in 2,700 cities and towns all across the country—including the Central Coast: “Tell me what democracy looks like! This is what democracy looks like!” After a two-week tour of New Zealand, here’s what one version of democracy looks like: This small […]
